The application window is expected to close on: 07/29/2026

Job posting may be removed earlier if the position is filled or if a sufficient number of applications are received.

Plans, conducts, analyzes, and shares research that advances the field of AI, as it relates to networking, security, programming, human-computer interaction, or other strategic areas in computer science. Utilizes expertise in AI and research methodologies to develop research plans, build models, run experiments, and provide models and solutions to relevant teams. Serves as research strategy liaison to engineers and product managers and works collaboratively with product management, engineering, and design teams to identify business and AI research goals. Summarizes and communicates results to all relevant partners and stakeholders to influence decisions.

What You’ll Do:
• Facilitates design and execution of research studies; may lead short to medium-term strategic research projects or initiatives (e.g., six-month to one-year research plans, roadmaps) with manageable complexity and resource requirements
• Influences a product team
• Applies strong knowledge of usage and applicability of a related set of AI and broad research tools/methods while considering ethical considerations of approaches
• Develops depth of expertise on one to two research approaches/topics and shapes research initiatives and strategies within area of specialism
• Monitors and evaluates emerging AI technologies and techniques to optimize solutions for business needs
• May be invited to participate and/or share perspectives on research methods at top AI conferences
• Utilizes a diverse array of advanced tools, models, and data structures to build, train, and evaluate AI models
• Iterates on and extends existing solutions with either new techniques or through adoption of existing methods from a related problem domain
• Engages in project discussions around methodology, providing valuable insights and expertise to optimize research processes and outcomes
• Identifies and/or creates new research initiatives that will advance products and processes at Cisco using AI
• Leads ongoing AI research planning and execution
• Determines best AI methods to be deployed based on research objectives
• Designs and leads experiments and/or prototypes
• Synthesizes and analyses data into triangulated insights that impact product decisions
• Uncovers themes and interprets data and insights across multiple studies, products, and/or customer journeys
• Recognizes the broader connections across the entire user journey to a create meta-analysis on a topic
• Independently develops and structures comprehensible presentations
• Leads working/collaboration sessions, typically with diverse, cross-functional audiences
• Collaborates with the business to understand novel problems, tracks ongoing issues and industry breakthroughs, and develops hypotheses to address issues and manage risk in an ethical manner
• Serves as research contact within own team to aid less-experienced colleagues
• Keeps abreast of industry changes and the latest developments to optimize the application of new AI technologies and techniques to solve business problems and improve performance
• Leads creation of research proposals, papers, patents, or other artifacts; content is of scientific quality and rigor
• Shares knowledge/ideas in relevant forums with the company and may present at industry forums
• May mentor peers or interns in either a formal or informal capacity

Minimum Qualifications:
• Bachelors + 7 years of related experience, or Masters + 4 years of related experience, or PhD + 1 year of related experience

Preferred Qualifications
Varies based on the team and business needs | Preferred Qualifications are desired education, experience, and skills that are in addition to Minimum Qualifications.

Why Cisco? 

At Cisco, we’re revolutionizing how data and infrastructure connect and protect organizations in the AI era – and beyond. We’ve been innovating fearlessly for 40 years to create solutions that power how humans and technology work together across the physical and digital worlds. These solutions provide customers with unparalleled security, visibility, and insights across the entire digital footprint.

Fueled by the depth and breadth of our technology, we experiment and create meaningful solutions. Add to that our worldwide network of doers and experts, and you’ll see that the opportunities to grow and build are limitless. We work as a team, collaborating with empathy to make really big things happen on a global scale. Because our solutions are everywhere, our impact is everywhere. 

We are Cisco, and our power starts with you. 

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